Drafting machine caddy

ABSTRACT

A drafting machine caddy having a clamp for attachment to the drafting machine, a rotatable horizontal shaft, with a drafting instrument tray affixed thereto and a clutch for controlling the angular position of said shaft and hence said tray.

United States Patent Dewitt M. Brownson 10808 62nd St., Temple Terrace, Fla. 33617 Apr. 16, 1968 Jan. 19, 1971 inventor Appl. No. Filed Patented DRAFTING MACHINE CADDY 10 Claims, 7 Drawing Figs.

US. Cl Int. Cl 1 A471 3/14 Field ofSearch 211/126,

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 808,534 12/1905 Gardinier 211/126X 1,658,310 2/1928 Thompson... 211/69.8 1,865,757 7/1932 l -lonsowetz 21 1/86X 1,955,209 4/1934 Tyler 21 1/126X 2,942,920 6/1960 French 21l/86X 3,126,100 3/1964 Christensen 211/126 Primary Examiner-Nile C. Byers, Jr. Attorney-Stefan M. Stein ABSTRACT: A drafting machine caddy having a clamp for attachment to the drafting machine, a rotatable horizontal shaft, with a drafting instrument tray affixed thereto and a clutch for controlling the angular position of said shaft and hence said tray.

PATENTED' JAN 13 1971 .HHI.

JIM.

INVENTOR. DEWITT MBROWNSON BY Z M ATTORNE Y.

PATEINTEUJANIQIQYI 3556307 snmanrz I 1 1i hi.

INVENTOR. DEWITT M. BROWNSON BWJW ATTORNEY.

- forth, and the scope of the l DRAFTING MACHINE CADDY This invention relates to a drafting machine caddy and more particularly to a holder for drafting instruments which attaches to a drafting machine.

The usual means for making drafting instruments easily availableto a draitsman is to provide a small trough at the lower edge of the board for its entire length. Unfortunately, the customary triangles, erasing shields and the like used frequently by draftsmen are not suitably stored therein. So a separate storage-space within easy reach must be provided in addition to the trough. Generally, a top drawer is provided just beneath the board. The trough which is generally at the lower most portion of the board, also unfortunately acts as a colleccomprises a shaft fitment 21, which slip fits on theshaft 6 and justable. A still further object is to provide such a caddy which s is easily adjustable by mere finger manipulation.

Other objects of. the invention will in part be obvious and will in part appear hereinafter. a

"The caddy of this invention comprises a clamp which is preferably attached to the side barsjof the straight edge machine usually affixed to a drafting board. r, with modification of the clamp, it may be attached at any other advantageouslocation convenient to thedraftsman. Extending from the clamp is a horizontally positioned rotatable shaft. the

Q rotation of whichis controlled by a holding clutch. Affixed to the shaft is an instrument tray. Thus with manipulation, the

desired by the draftsman. j

The invention accordinglycomprises the features 'of con tray may be'positioned at any predetermined angular position struction, combination of elements, and arrangement of parts which will be exemplified in the construction hereinafter set inventionwill be indicated in the claims. 1

For a fuller understanding of the nature and objects of the invention, reference should be had to the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of the caddy of this invention. I v

FIG. 2 is a top view. FIG. 3 is anendview. FIG. 4 is an enlarged side viewof one embodiment of a clutch mechanism for said caddy.

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of the clutch of FIG. 4 taken along line 5--5. r

' FIG. 6 is an enlarged side view of another embodiment of a clutch mechanism.

The caddy of this invention comprises a lowerclamp jaw I Y and an upper clamp jaw 2 pivoted to each other and adjusted byajaw screw 112.

Extending from the lower clamp jaw are two support rods 4 (only one shown), arranged adjacent to each other. On the extremity of each is a journal block 5 which acts as the outer journal for rotatable shaft 6.

In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 to 5 two grooved blocks 7 aligned with respect to each other, are affixed to the shaft 6. A tray 8 of light aluminum, plastic or other light material, with two forked appendages [9 on the under side of the try tray, straddle the blocks 7. Each forked appendage (FIG. I) fits freely into a groove 19 provided on the side of each block 7. Affixed to the shaft 6, at the clamp end. is a holding or locking index clutch 3. One element of the clutch is foot keyed via recess 20 to the lower clamp jaw l. The other element is a rotatable indexing fitment ILBoth fitments have coacting teeth 10 which mesh when lever I4 is released.

The rotatable indexing fitment II is capable of sliding axially along shaft 6 and is biased to the left (in the drawings) by spring 13 (see FIG. 5). The fitment has an elongated hole 22 about pin 12, to limit the extent of axialmovement. Lever 14 which has a trunnion shape, fits within groove 23. It enables axial movement of the indexing fitment II. Thus tceth I0 between fitments II and 2! are engaged or disengaged in ac- 'co rd with thcmovement of lever I4 to'providc a firm lock as determined by compression spring I3, on the shaft 6. A recess 24 in the lower clamp jaw provides apurchase for the lever l4. Referring to FIG. 6, the tray 8 with its forked appendages 9 slip fits onto blocks 7. The tray may have longitudinal dividers 15, (see FIG. 3 which extend the length or width of the tray In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, the structure has been simplified for the sake of economy. Only those elements are shown which provide such economy.

As seen in FIG. 6, the tray 8 is afiixed directly to a tray support block 40 which is keyed to shaft 6 and rotates therewith as shaft 6 rotates. The base (the right side as seen in FIG. 6) of the shaft 6 is enlarged by a plastic sleeve 25. This plastic sleeve 25 on shaft 6 is nearly totally encased'by a clamping band 26. Clamping band 26 maybe of any material such as metal ,or plastic strip to withstand repeated flexing. Its tangs 27 are controlled by a tensioning pin 28 whereby the band tends to continuously clamp the plastic sleeve 25, and hence the shaft 6 against rotation. Such action is accomplished 'by spring 29, which biases knob 33 outwardly. As seen in FIG. 7, such action willcause band 26 to more tightly clamp sleeve 25 so that sleeve 25 and hence shaft 6 cannot rotate. Band compression pin 30 transmits the force of spring 29 to the band while band release pin '36 releases the compression of the band 26 when knob 33 is depressed against the force of spring 29. Knob lock pin 34 locks the knob to the tensioning pin'28. When when the compression of band 26 is released by pressing knob 33 inwardly (to the left in FIG. 7), the angular position of tray 8 may be changed by simple and hand movements'Such movement rotates block 40 and shaft 6. When properly positioned, the angular position of the tray 8 is locked by simply releasing knob 33.

' It will thus be seen that the objects set forth above, among those made apparent from the preceding description, are efficiently attained and, since certain changes may be made in the above construction without departing from the scope of this invention, it'is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a'limiting sense.

It is also to be understood that the following claims are intended to cover all of the generic and specific features of the invention herein described, and all statements of the scope of the invention, which, as a matter of language, might be said to fall therebetween.

I- claim:

1. A drafting machine caddy comprising a clamp for attachment to the drafting machine, a horizontally positioned rotatable shaft supported at least at one end by said clamp, a holding clutch connected to said shaft to control the rotation of said shaft and a drafting instrument tray affixed to said shaft for rotation therewith whereby the angular position of the tray may be varied.

2. The drafting machine caddy of claim 1 wherein said shaft extends through a journal block integral with said clamp.

3. The drafting machine caddy of claim 1 wherein said clutch comprises a rotatable indexing fitment keyed about said shaft and capable of axial movement on said shaft,, indexing means for said fitment and biasing means for said fitment urging said fitment against said indexing means and a release lever operatively connected to said fitment whereby upon a release movement said fitment is released from said indexing means to enable rotation of said shaft and angular positioning of said tray.

4. The drafting machine caddy of claim 3 wherein saidindexing means comprises a shaft fitment which slip fitson said shaft and is foot keyed to said clamp.

5. The drafting machine caddy of claim 4'where said shaft fitment and said indexing fitment contain teeth which coact to index the angular position of said shaft.

6. The drafting machine caddy of claim 1 wherein said clutch comprises a clamping band about one end of said shaft. the compression of said band being controlled by a biasing means capable of being released by finger pressure.

7. The drafting machine; caddy of claim 6 wherein said clamping band has tangs with a .tensioning pin extending therethrough and a spring biasing saidpin .t o exerta clamping force of said band on said shaft. H

8. The drafting machine caddy of claim 7. wherein said shaft has an enlarged plastic sleeve secured thereto and said clamping band extends around said sleeve. the tangs of said band 1 having a tensioning pin extending therethrough with a spring :biasing said pin to exert a clampi ng force of said ,band on said 

1. A drafting machine caddy comprising a clamp for attachment to the drafting machine, a horizontally positioned rotatable shaft supported at least at one end by said clamp, a holding clutch connected to said shaft to control the rotation of said shaft and a drafting instrument tray affixed to said shaft for rotation therewith whereby the angular position of the tray may be varied.
 2. The drafting machine caddy of claim 1 wherein said shaft extends through a journal block integral with said clamp.
 3. The drafting machine caddy of claim 1 wherein said clutch comprises a rotatable indexing fitment keyed about said shaft and capable of axial movement on said shaft, indexing means for said fitment and biasing means for said fitment urging said fitment against said indexing means and a release lever operatively connected to said fitment whereby upon a release movement said fitment is released from said indexing means to enable rotation of said shaft and angular positioning of said tray.
 4. The drafting machine caddy of claim 3 wherein said indexing means comprises a shaft fitment which slip fits on said shaft and is foot keyed to said clamp.
 5. The drafting machine caddy of claim 4 where said shaft fitment and said indexing fitment contain teeth which coact to index the angular position of said shaft.
 6. The drafting machine caddy of claim 1 wherein said clutch comprises a clamping band about one end of said shaft, the compression of said band being controlled by a biasing means capable of being released by finger pressure.
 7. The drafting machine caddy of claim 6 wherein said clamping band has tangs with a tensioning pin extending therethrough and a spring biasing said pin to exert a clamping force of said band on said shaft.
 8. The drafting machine caddy of claim 7 wherein said shaft has an enlarged plastic sleeve secured thereto and said clamping band extends around said sleeve, the tangs of said band having a tensioning pin extending therethrough with a spring biasing said pin to exert a clamping force of said band on said sleeve and a release knob affixed to the outside end of said tensioning pin to enable quick finger release of said clamping force whereby said tray may be angularly positioned.
 9. The drafting machine caddy of claim 1 wherein said tray is removably secured to said shaft. 10 The drafting machine caddy of claim 9 wherein said shaft has blocks affixed thereto with grooves in said blocks and said tray has trunnion shaped appendages which fit into said grooves. 